About Us

We offer the following….

School Workshops, Presentations, Assemblies, Classroom based activities, 1 : 1 Tuition, Ensemble Coaching, Concerts and Masterclasses in the UK and Worldwide. We are professional woodwind musicians of international acclaim and have over 30 years of experience as music consultants.

Residential Courses for Adult Amateur Flute, Saxophone (SATB) and Clarinet Players – all ages and abilities welcome. Each course differs in playing level so please email us if you need clarification. Some focus on 1 : 1 tuition and others are ensemble based with workshop style coaching sessions. Our computer based library of over 300 arrangements of music is unique and we are able to adjust the parts in-situ to suit each individual. All members of each instrumental family are welcome from Piccolo and Concert to Alto and Bass flutes, E flat, Bass clarinets and Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones.

Flute Courses

Clarinet Courses

Saxophone Courses

Residential Courses for Students on all Woodwind Instruments. All ages from 7 – 18 and 3 notes to Diploma. The students are grouped primarily according to age bands, but we are sensitive to the varying ability levels, learning pace and friendship groups and so the boundaries can be flexible. Our students come from diverse backgrounds – Day, Boarding or International schools and we are proud of the welcome shown to those who have travelled far and the ensuing integration. We welcome many foreign students from all over the world who like to practise their English language skills through the medium of music making. Enjoyment, enthusiasm for playing and a friendly environment are high on our list of priorities. We provide 24 hour pastoral care and delicious home cooking. The courses are intended to be a motivational boost and many students improve by a year in just a few days! Sibling and ‘Bring a new friend’ discounts offered. Bursaries available at our discretion. Student Courses

Professional Development Courses These are aimed at teachers or intending teachers. Some are aimed at high level playing with the emphasis on coached ensembles; others are tuition based with essential pedagogy, repertoire, tips and techniques for those teachers who need help on a 2nd or 3rd instruments.

One Day ‘Taster Courses’ and 3 hour workshop sessions please email for details

Skype lessons and FaceTime: These work well for those unable to travel to lessons or for those living in distant places. Times can be arranged to suit your work or school schedules.

Worldwide Woodwind Workshops

Workshop based classes, presentations and sessions for schools, colleges, universities and music institutions.
Also residential music courses for Adult Amateur Players on Flute, Clarinet or Saxophone (SATB)
Professional musicians with 30 years educational and performing experience with both children and adults of all ages and abilities.
Late starters and lapsed learners and those in need of a motivational boost are our speciality.

Where do we work …? Anywhere our passports take us……! To date we have worked extensively at International Schools, Performing Arts Institutes, Music Establishments and University Departments across the world, as well as extensively in all types of school across the UK.
Our work has given us the chance to present courses, workshops, concerts, masterclasses, individual and group lessons, motivational sessions and residential musical holidays in South Korea, Bahrain, Oman, Thailand, Canada, France, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Italy, UK, Mexico, India, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Russia, Montenegro, Turkey, Poland, China & Croatia.

Our aim is to inspire and motivate …. Whatever your playing level and age, we have classes and courses to suit and music that you can play and enjoy.
We are a dynamic and charismatic team of professional musicians and our experience and vitality for our work allows us to present classes and courses that are totally content appropriate, alive and interesting. All school presentations are interactive and we vary the structure of the programmes to work for all ages from Kindergarten to High School.

How it all began ….The Workshops evolved at the request of teachers and students who attended Flutes en Vacances Concerts, Courses, Summer Schools and Play days and wanted to be part of something similar.The residential courses began with a need for people to spend more time doing something they enjoyed and with like-minded others.

Can we modify our programmes to suit each situation ? ….Yes, we have given motivational sessions to children from nursery and kindergarten level, coached High School bands, orchestras, wind bands, brass groups and even military bands; taught individual and mixed ability groups,helped to establish and coach ensembles for saxophones, flutes, clarinets and multi instrument groups. In fact, any level through to conservatoire and aspiring professional musicians and even teachers needing a battery charge for their own playing and teaching. Often we are asked to give masterclasses, adjudicate competitions, contests, festivals and present workshops and concerts with input from ourselves as to the structure, format, planning and funding for such events. Naturally, we are on hand to discuss and evaluate to determine whether aims and objectives were achieved as planned. Frequently teachers need help with ideas to expand a teaching practice or to encourage young people to play and we can offer ideas from our experience to help their professional development. Outreach schemes are also of interest to many teachers. This is where a musical unit goes into the community to play or community members visit the department to share the music making.

Who are we … ?

Julie Wright …is from the famous Needham flute and piccolo playing family of the Halle Orchestra. She studied flute and piccolo with Atarah Ben-Tovim MBE and gained a first class honours degree in music, psychology and education.

Julie has pursued a varied freelance playing and teaching career with three commercial recordings in her name to date. She is universally respected by all ages and abilities for her master classes and loved for the irrepressiblejoie de vivre that has enticed players of all levels and abilities to her Flutes en Vacances wood wind courses and concerts world-wide.

These have been held in such tantalising destinations as Budapest, Venice, Paris, Seville, Oman, Bahrain, Prague, Marrakech, Montenegro, Moscow, Lisbon, Tuscany, Istanbul and Bangkok. Embassy Concerts, corporate presentations and musical soirees also feature highly on Julie’s programme.

As one of the most experienced teachers of adults, children and students in the world, she is constantly in demand for her expertise and well liked for her willingness to accept a challenge with a smile and ever present enthusiasm. For seven years she was teacher of flute and piccolo at Trinity Music College, London, UK. Many of her students gain major scholarships to prestigious educational establishments such as Eton, Harrow, Chethams, Wells, Purcell School, Cheltenham Ladies College and St Pauls, London.

For 18 years she was events co-ordinator and international liaison for the British Flute Society and organised the International UK Flute Convention biannually with Trevor Wye. Since 2012, she has been a tutor and administrator on The International Flute Summer School hosted by Trevor Wye, with 30 students attending from all over the world.

Julie has visited many international educational establishments in Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, Thailand, Russia, Canada, USA, UK, France, Russia, Spain, the Gulf States and Portugal to observe and assist with teaching programmes and is into her 30th year of organising residential music courses for flute, clarinet and saxophone players.

And now? With passport in hand and bags always packed, she is a freelance flute teacher in London, UK and music education consultant, presenter, workshop and seminar leader, worldwide.

Nicholas Foster …is a graduate of the internationally renowned Chethams School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and is acclaimed as a distinctive, versatile clarinetist and musician. Appearing as concerto and recital soloist he has performed throughout the UK, Europe and Scandinavia, the Middle and Far East.
He has performed and recorded extensively with most UK orchestras including the Ulster Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra, Opera North, Glyndebourne Opera, Bolshoi Ballet, Halle Orchestra, and Northern Sinfonia with such artists as Jorge Bolet, Sir James Galway, Dimitry Sitkovetsky, Radu Lupu, Nigel Kennedy, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Luciano Berio, Sir Michael Tippet, HK Gruber and Gunther Schuller amongst many. As an arranger and composer Nicholas has written and arranged for the concert platform, television and radio, producing music from solo items to full big band arrangements. A large number of his works are available through his own publishing company; www.ZamzamMusic.com ranging from study material, duets and trios to large-scale ensembles.

Nicholas has established himself as a teacher of high repute with pupils attending his classes worldwide. He has been Professor of Saxophone at Liverpool University and held similar positions in Spain and the Middle East, including the post of Head of Woodwind at the Royal Military School of Music in Oman. He is also a co-founder of ‘Worldwide Woodwind Workshops’, an organization promoting practical music in schools around the World. Based in southern Europe, he divides his time equally between performing, teaching and composing. Engagements this year include appearances and master classes in Russia, Spain, Portugal, UK, Italy, France, Morocco, Montenegro and Thailand.